Pelargonium plant named ‘Fisropink ’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  pelargonium  particularly characterized by having cup-shaped, brilliant-pink, semi-double flowers with white eyes, floriferous with large inflorescences on long peduncles, medium-green and large foliage with distinct zonation, a tall plant habit with vigorous growth, a rounded and moderately tight plant habit and a continuous and mid-season flowering response, is disclosed.

Genus and species: Pelargonium×hortorum.

Variety denomination: ‘Fisropink’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofpelargonium, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum, and hereinafterreferred to by the cultivar name ‘Fisropink’. The new cultivar is aproduct of a planned breeding program which had the objective ofcreating new varieties having pink flowers, a good stability of flowercolor, medium-green foliage and vigorous growth. ‘Fisropink’ wasdiscovered as a seedling resulting from the cross of the female parent‘Fisblu’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,764), having mainly pink semi-doubleflowers with purple and white markings, and the male parent ‘DresdnerPuppe Rosa mit Auge’ (Plant Breeder's Rights protection in Europe under‘Drepenosa’) having pink flowers with deep-pink eyes.

The new cultivar was created in 1999 in Hillscheid, Germany and has beenasexually reproduced repeatedly by vegetative cuttings in Galdar, GranCanaria, Spain, and Hillscheid, Germany over a five-year period. It hasbeen found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successiveasexual propagations. ‘Fisropink’ reproduces true to type in successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

Plants Breeder's Rights for this cultivar were applied for in Germany onApr. 4, 2005 and Canada on Apr. 20, 2005.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishingcharacteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normalhorticultural practices in Hillscheid, Germany.

-   -   1. Cup-shaped, brilliant-pink, semi-double flowers with white        eyes;    -   2. Floriferous with large inflorescences on long peduncles;    -   3. Medium-green and large foliage with distinct zonation;    -   4. A tall plant habit with vigorous growth;    -   5. A rounded and moderately tight plant habit; and    -   6. A mid-season and continuous flowering response.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

This new pelargonium plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographwhich shows overall plant habit including inflorescences, buds, andfoliage of the plant; the colors shown are as true as can be reasonablyobtained by conventional photographic procedures. The photograph is of a12- to 14-week-old, un-pinched plant grown from rooted cuttings, in14-cm pot and grown under greenhouse and outdoor conditions whichapproximate those generally used in commercial practice.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctivecharacteristics of ‘Fisropink’. The data which define thesecharacteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out inHillscheid, Germany. The plant history was taken on 11-week-old,un-pinched plants in 12-cm pots in a greenhouse during late May 2005.Color readings were taken under natural light in late May from flowersgrown in the greenhouse. Color references are primarily to the RHSColour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (RHS) (2001).

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:    -   -   Family.—Geraniaceae.        -   Botanical.—Pelargonium×hortorum.        -   Common name.—Zonal geranium.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female parent.—‘Fisblu’ a proprietary pelargonium plant            having mainly pink semi-double flowers with purple and white            markings (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,764).        -   Male parent.—‘Dresdner Puppe Rosa mit Auge’ a pelargonium            plant having pink flowers with deep-pink eyes (Plant            Breeder's Rights protection in Europe under ‘Drepenosa’).-   Plant:    -   -   Form.—Shrub, self-branching, rounded shape.        -   Branching habit.—6 to 7 branches per plant.        -   Height (measured from base of the stem to the tips of the            branches, excluding the inflorescence, 11 weeks old).—21.7            cm.        -   Width (plant diameter at 11-weeks-old).—36.3 cm.        -   Time to produce a flowering plant.—Plants had an average of            0.5 opened inflorescences about 8 weeks after planting            rooted cuttings in Hillscheid, Germany.        -   Outdoor plant performance.—Plants continuously flower; a            count in late May of 2005 in Hillscheid, Germany produced            about 4.5 inflorescences per plant; in late summer produced            about 15 to 20 umbels per plant (26-weeks-old).-   Leaves:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, at flowering stems opposite.        -   Immature leaf color.—Medium green. Upper surface: RHS 137C.            Lower surface: RHS 137D.        -   Mature leaf color.—Upper surface: RHS 137B (medium-green).            Lower surface: RHS 137D.        -   Zonation color.—RHS 166A (brown) with a medium distinctness.        -   Zonation diameter.—Inner diameter of ring: 5.6 cm. Band or            belt of zonation: 1.0 cm to 1.5 cm.        -   Size.—Length: 7.0 cm. Width: 12.1 cm.        -   Shape.—Relatively large, kidney-shaped with weak lobes and            an open gap between lowest lobes.        -   Apex.—Rounded.        -   Base.—Cordate.        -   Margin.—Bi-crenate, somewhat wavy.        -   Texture.—Upper surface is smooth, dull, and velvety.        -   Petioles.—Color: RHS 143C (light-green). Length: 7.0 cm to            12.0 cm. Diameter: 0.3 cm. Texture: Covered with fine            pubescence.-   Stems:    -   -   Stem color.—RHS 143C.        -   Length.—13 cm to 19 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.7 to 0.8 cm.        -   Internode length.—1.0 cm to 2.5 cm.        -   Texture.—Appear smooth, yet covered with very short            pubescence.-   Inflorescence bud: (just before petals unfold)    -   -   Shape.—Elliptical.        -   Size.—Length: 1.4 cm to 1.6 cm. Width: 0.7 cm to 0.8 cm.        -   Color of sepals.—RHS 143C (light-green).        -   Color of petals.—RHS 55A.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—An umbel composed of 20 to 30 flowers        -   Umbel.—Shape: Nearly semi-spherical Diameter: 12.1 cm Height            (depth): 5.5 cm.        -   Lastingness of umbel on the plant.—About 16 days.        -   Peduncles.—Color: RHS 143C (light-green). Length: 24.6 cm.            Diameter: 0.5 cm. Texture: With dense, short glandular hair.        -   Pedicel.—Color: Mainly RHS 143C (light-green) with RHS 181B            (reddish-brown) anthocyanin in parts. Length: 3.2 cm.            Diameter: 0.15 cm. Texture: Very short glandular hairs.-   Corolla:    -   -   Shape of corolla.—Round outline with both the upper petals            and lower petals roughly the same size and cup-shaped.        -   Form.—Semi-double.        -   Diameter.—5.2 cm.        -   Depth.—1.0 cm to 1.5 cm.        -   Number of petals.—6 to 7.        -   Petaloids.—Number: 1 to 2. Shape: Variable, shorter and            narrower than the petals, often folded or twisted. Color:            RHS 58C (pink) or RHS 69C (pale-pink).        -   Lastingness of individual flowers on plant.—8 days at 18° C.        -   Fragrance.—None.-   Petals:    -   -   Shape.—Obovate.        -   Apex.—Rounded.        -   Base.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Smooth, slightly glossy.        -   Upper petals.—Length: 2.3 cm to 2.5 cm. Width: 1.8 cm to            2.0 cm. Color: Upper surface: Between RHS 58B and RHS 58C.            Lower surface: RHS 68B near the margin and deeper pink, with            RHS 58C veins at the base of the petal. Markings: Distinct            RHS 155D (white) bases (⅓ or more of the length) and very            fine RHS 68B (pink) veins.-   Lower petals.—Length: 2.4 cm to 2.6 cm. Width: 2.2 cm to 2.3 cm.    Color: Upper surface: RHS 58C. Lower surface: Between RHS 68B and    RHS 68C. Markings: Absent.-   Sepals:    -   -   Number.—5.        -   Color.—Upper (inner) surface: RHS 143B (light-green). Lower            (outer) surface: RHS 143C.        -   Length.—1.0 cm to 1.1 cm.        -   Width.—Largest upper sepal: 0.3 cm to 0.4 cm. Other sepals:            0.2 cm to 0.3 cm.        -   Shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Base.—Truncate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Dense glandular hair and sparse pubescence.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Androecium.—Number of anthers: Usually 5. Filament length:            0.7 cm to 0.8 cm. Filament color: RHS 155D (white) to RHS            58C (reddish) at upper ends. Pollen color: RHS 28B (orange).            Pollen amount: Moderate.        -   Gynoecium.—Pistil: Number: 1. Length: 0.8 cm. Stigma color:            RHS N57B (red-purple). Stigma shape: 5 to 6 lobed. Style            color: RHS N57B to RHS N57C. Style length: 0.3 cm. Style            shape: Filiform (filament-like) with the lobes of the stigma            at right angles.-   Fruit and seed set: No seed set observed.-   Disease and insect resistance: No particular resistance or    susceptibility has been observed.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL AND COMMERCIAL CULTIVARS

‘Fisropink’ differs from the female parent ‘Fisblu’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No.9,764) by having a more vigorous growth habit and foliage with distinctzonation, while the foliage of ‘Fisblu’ has nearly no zonation. Inaddition, the flowers of ‘Fisropink’ have distinct white bases and finepink veins, while the flowers of ‘Fisblu’ have purple and whitemarkings.

‘Fisropink’ differs from the male parent and commercial variety‘Dresdner Puppe Rosa mit Auge’ (Plant Breeder's Rights protection inEurope under ‘Drepenosa’) in that ‘Dresdner Puppe Rosa mit Auge’ haspink markings on the petals, while ‘Fisropnk’ does not have pinkmarkings. In addition, ‘Fisropink’ has 6 to 7 petals, semi-doubleflowers, has a tall plant habit with vigorous growth, while DresdnerPuppe Rosa mit Auge has 5 petals, single to weakly semi-double flowersand a compact to medium-sized plant habit.

‘Fisropink’differs from the commercial variety ‘Fisblufort’ (U.S. PlantPat. No. 13,195) by having larger leaves and a more vigorous growthhabit than ‘Fisblufort’. In addition, ‘Fisropink’has brilliant pinkflowers with white eyes, while ‘Fisblufort’ has bright pink flowers withred eyes.

‘Fisropink’differs from the commercial variety ‘Americana Pink III/AmriPinka Three’ (unpatented) by having lighter pink flowers with largerwhite eyes than ‘Americana Pink III/Amri Pinka Three’. In addition,‘Fisropink’ has foliage with distinct zonation, while ‘Americana PinkIII/Amri Pinka Three’ has no zonation.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of pelargonium plant as shown anddescribed herein.